London adds rooms for Olympic travellers

London is in the process of adding up to 13,300 rooms before the Olympics commence next year, quashing reports that accommodation may be scarce during the games.

A VisitBritain spokesperson told e-Travel Blackboard that the city was in the process of increasing its hotel supply by up to 12 percent and that the city would have ample room to accommodate both Olympic visitors and other travellers.

“England already has a known accommodation stock of 1,201,000 bed spaces [593,000 rooms] from simple and comfortable through to luxury options, so there should still be plenty of choice for any visitor,” the spokesperson explained.

A World Travel Market report released earlier this month read that travellers looking to visit the city without watching the Olympic Games would struggle to find accommodation in the area with the majority of sporting enthusiasts purchasing accommodation as a package with their Olympic ticket.

However, the VisitBritain spokesperson disagreed, stating that the city “should easily accommodate” Olympic ticket holders and other travellers because many people were keen to stay in towns and cities close but outside of central London.

“What the report is probably indicating is that the majority of the central London hotels are likely to be booked up in advance, but there are plenty of options a little bit further afield.”

Whether it’s Jason Westbury predicting the probable change of government, the exit polls and Channel 9 news stories that showed the Liberal party “simply could not win” or the betting agencies that paid out early